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By Geographical Region & Time Period

• 
  Casket, 11th–12th century
  Probably southern Italy or Sicily
  Ivory; L. 15 in. (38.1 cm), W. 8 in. (20.3 cm)
  Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.241)
  
• 
  Panel with horse heads, Fatimid period (909–1171), 11th century
  Egypt
  Wood (teak); carved; L. 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm), W. 8 15/16 in. (22.7 cm), D. 11/16 in. (1.7 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1911 (11.205.2)
  
• 
  Amulet, 11th century; Fatimid
  Egypt
  Ink on paper; H. 9 in. (23 cm), W. 3 1/4 in. (8.4 cm)
  Gift of Nelly, Violet, and Elie Abemayor, in memory of Michel Abemayor, 1978 (1978.546.32)
  
• 

  Folio from the "Blue Qur'an," Fatimid period (909–1171), second half of 9th–mid-10th century
  Tunisia, probably Qairawan
  Gold and silver on indigo-dyed parchment; 11 15/16 x 15 13/16 in. (30.4 x 40.2 cm)
  Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004 (2004.88)

• 
  Tiraz veil, dated 983
  Egypt (Tinnis)
  Linen, loosely woven, with silk design in tapestry weave; 23.2 x 55.9 in. (59 x 142 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1971 (1971.151)
  
• 
  Bowl, ca. 1000; Fatimid
  Egypt
  Earthenware, glazed and luster-painted; Diam. 10 in. (25.4 cm)
  Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Wilkinson, 1963 (63.178.1)
  
• 
  Pair of earrings, 11th century
  Greater Syria
  Gold: fabricated from wire and sheet, decorated with granulation; originally outlined with strung pearls and/or stones; 1 x 1 1/4 in. (2.5 x 3.3 cm)
  Purchase, Gifts in memory of Richard Ettinghausen, and Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1979 (1979.278.2a,b)
  
• 
  Pyxis (cylindrical container), Ayyubid period (1169–1260), late 11th–early 12th century
  Syria
  Stonepaste; luster-painted on incised, opaque white glaze; Gr. H. 8 in. (20.3 cm), Max. Diam. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
  Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, Harvey and Elizabeth Plotnick Gift, and Louis E. and Theresa S. Seley Purchase Fund for Islamic Art, 1998 (1998.298a,b)
  
• 
  Pendant, 11th century; Fatimid
  Egypt
  Gold, cloisonné enamel; 1 3/4 x 1 3/8 in. (4.5 x 3.5 cm)
  The Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915 (30.95.37)
  

In the tenth to twelfth centuries, an area including present-day Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Egypt, and Syria came under the rule of the Fatimid dynasty (909–1171), an offshoot of a Shi^ci sect from North Africa. The Fatimid rulers traced descent from Muhammad's daughter Fatima (hence Fatimid) via Isma^cil, the seventh Shi^ci imam, and thus presented a threat to the political and religious authority of the orthodox Sunni ^cAbbasid caliph. The circular design of the city of al-Mansuriya, one of their first capitals, founded in 947, can be interpreted as a deliberate challenge to the round city of ^cAbbasid Baghdad, the "city of peace" (madinat al-salam). This opposition became more significant following the Fatimid conquest of Egypt in 969. At this time, the Fatimids founded the city of Cairo (al-Qahira, "the triumphant") and established it as their new capital (973). While Egypt came to enjoy enormous prosperity primarily due to its intermediary role in the lucrative trade between the Mediterranean and India, Cairo soon rivaled the ^cAbbasid capital of Baghdad.

The opulence of the Fatimid court fueled a renaissance in the decorative arts, which made Cairo the most important cultural center in the Islamic world.

Related

Cited Works of Art or Images (3)

• 
• 
• 

Timelines (12)

• Arabian Peninsula, 1000–1400 a.d.
• Arabian Peninsula, 500–1000 a.d.
• Egypt, 1000–1400 a.d.
• Egypt, 500–1000 a.d.
• Iberian Peninsula, 1000–1400 a.d.
• Iberian Peninsula, 500–1000 a.d.
• Iraq (Mesopotamia) 500–1000 a.d.
• Italian Peninsula, 500–1000 a.d.
• The Eastern Mediterranean, 1000–1400 a.d.
• The Eastern Mediterranean, 500–1000 a.d.
• Western North Africa (The Maghrib), 1000–1400 a.d.
• Western North Africa (The Maghrib), 500–1000 a.d.

Primary Thematic Essays (5)

• Figural Representation in Islamic Art
• The Art of the ^cAbbasid Period (750
• The Art of the Ayyubid Period (ca. 1171–1260)
• The Birth of Islam
• The Nature of Islamic Art

Other Thematic Essays (12)

• Astronomy and Astrology in the Medieval Islamic World
• Byzantine Art under Islam
• Calligraphy in Islamic Art
• Constantinople after 1261
• Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art
• Glass from Islamic Lands
• Islamic Art and Culture: the Venetian Perspective
• List of Rulers of the Islamic World
• The Art of the Umayyad Period in Spain (711–1031)
• Turkmen Jewelry
• Vegetal Patterns in Islamic Art
• Venice's Principal Muslim Trading Partners: the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the Safavids

Maps (1)

• World, 500-1000 A.D.

Index Terms (13)

Art Movement/Style

• Fatimid Art in the Early Islamic Period
• Fatimid Art in the Islamic Medieval Period

Geography/Place

• Egypt
• Western North Africa
• Islamic World
• The Eastern Mediterranean

Material and Technique

• Calligraphy from Africa and Egypt

Object

• Mosque Architecture from Africa and Egypt
• Panel
• Personal Ornament

Subject Matter/Theme

• Interior
• Liturgical Books
• Islam

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The opulence of the Fatimid court fueled a renaissance in the decorative arts, which made Cairo the most important cultural center in the Islamic world. Nearby, Old Cairo, known as al-Fustat, became a major center for the production of pottery, glass, and metalwork, and rock-crystal, ivory, and wood carving; textile factories run by government officials created tiraz fabrics in the name of the caliph elsewhere in the Egyptian region, especially the Nile Delta. A novel, more refined style developed in pottery; bands with small animals and inscriptions now formed the major decoration in textiles; and rock-crystal carvers demonstrated great skill in works created for and treasured by the caliphs themselves.

The artwork from this period exemplifies the creativity and ingenuity of Fatimid craftsmen. The technique of lusterware on ceramic, developed originally in Iraq, was revived in Egypt and Syria. Some lusterware pieces from this period are signed by their makers, an indication of the esteem in which the craftsmen were held. Wood carving and jewelry were executed with equal skill and inventiveness. Fatimid artists created new decorative motifs and made greater use of figural forms, both human and animal. Figures were stylized but lively, while traditional vegetal and geometric decorations maintained their abstract quality.

In architecture, the Fatimids followed Tulunid techniques and used similar materials, but also developed those of their own. In Cairo, their first congregational mosque was al-Azhar ("the splendid") founded along with the city (969–73), which, together with its adjacent institution of higher learning (al-Azhar University), became the spiritual center for Isma^cili Shi^ci. The Mosque of al-Hakim (r. 996–1013), an important example of Fatimid architecture and architectural decoration, played a critical role in Fatimid ceremonial and procession, which emphasized the religious and political role of the Fatimid caliph. Besides elaborate funerary monuments, other surviving Fatimid structures include the Mosque of al-Aqmar (1125) as well as the monumental gates for Cairo's city walls commissioned by the powerful Fatimid emir and vizier Badr al-Jamali (r. 1073–94).

Citation Yalman, Suzan. "The Art of the Fatimid Period (909–1171)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/fati/hd_fati.htm (October 2001) Further Reading Behrens-Abouseif, Doris "Architecture of the Fatimid Period." In her Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction, pp. 58–77.. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1989. Contadini, Anna Fatimid Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 1998. Related exhibitions and online features Special Exhibitions (including upcoming, current, and past exhibitions)

These related Museum Bulletin or Journal articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship. Jenkins, Marilyn "Islamic Pottery: A Brief History." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 40, no. 4 (Spring, 1983). JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs "Director’s Note" PDF "Introduction" PDF Ettinghausen, Richard "Islamic Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 33, no. 1 (Spring, 1975). JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs "Director’s Note" PDF Jenkins, Marilyn "Muslim: An Early Fatimid Ceramist." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 26, no. 9 (May, 1968). JSTOR | PDF Aanavi, Don "Western Islamic Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 27, no. 3 (November, 1968). JSTOR | PDF Grube, Ernst J. "The Art of Islamic Pottery." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 23, no. 6 (February, 1965). . JSTOR | PDF